System of circuit control



Feb. 18; 1941. J. J. ROSECKY SYSTEM OF CIRCUIT CONTROL Filed May 20,1940 Patented Feb. 18, 1941 PATENT OFFICE SYSTEM OF CIRCUIT CONTROLJoseph J. Rosecky, Milwaukee, Wis, assignor to Cutler-Hammer, Inc.,Milwaukee, Wis, a corporation of Delaware Application May 20, 1940,Serial No. 336,173

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvement in systems of circuit control, andmore particularly to illumination control systems comprising a pluralityof lamp circuits which provide for presetting a plurality of intensitiesof illumination for each circuit and effecting transition from eachpreset intensity to another at selective rates for the several circuits,which rates are proportional to the degrees of change in illuminationintensities to be effected in the respective'circ'uits.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple system of theaforementioned character which is equally applicable to a variety ofvoltage control apparatus for the lamp circuits.

Another object is to provide a system which may employ resistance orreaction type of potentiometers for piloting or controlling the sendercontrol circuits.

Another object is to provide a system including individual circuit andmaster controls whereby transition of the intensity of illumination ofan individual circuit from one preset value to another upon transferfrom one master circuit to another may be effected in a gradual andcontinuous manner.

Another object is to provide a. remote control system of theaforementioned nature in which a control current between the individualcircuit control and the receiver flows only during changes in theillumination intensity of the respective lamp circuit.

Another object is to provide an illumination control system including aplurality of preset master controllers combined with a single selector,and with individual intensity control means for the respective lampcircuits.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear. I

An illumination control system of the aforementioned type is illustratedand described in a copending application of Richard B. Hunter, SerialNo. 280,448, filed June 22, 1939, and assigned to the same assignee asthe presentinvention (which application has resulted in PatentNo.:2,225,994, granted December 24, 1940), the present inventiondiilering from the disclosure of said Hunter application in respect ofproviding a, single iader control unit cooperating with a plurality ofscene and/or group master controllers to provide for presetting aplurality of scenes and to gradually change from one scene preset toanother.

The accompanying drawing is a diagram of a system incorporating theinvention. The system comprises two groups of lamps l and 2,respectively. Energy is supplied to the lamps and to the controlcircuits from the alternating current bus bars L and L The currentiorthe lamps I is supplied through an autmtransformer dimmer 3 wl'iicl'ihas its primary winding connected across the lines U, L and which isprovided with a sliding contact brush 4 by means of which a variablesecondary voltage derived from the transformer may be impressed upon thelamps. The brush :3 connects the various taps of the transformer windingselectively with bar 5 to which one terminal of the lamp circuit isconnected, While the other terminal of the lamp circuit connected to theline L The brush 4 may be moved along the transformer taps and bar 5 ascrew t which is driven by a motor 1, provided with reversing windings,and which motor is controlled by a relay 8.

The reiay ii comprises a lever 3 pivoted at its center and provided ateach of itsends with magnet cores 8*, said lever being normally biasedto an intermediate or neutral position by any suitable means, such as aspring (not shown). The cores 8 are surrounded by polarizing coils 8which are so wound and so connected across the lines L L that thepolarity of both cores is in the same direction. A second set of coilsli is arranged on the cores 8*, but wound in opposite directionsrelatively to each other so that a current flowing therein unbalancesthe pull on the two to cause rotation of the armature in one directionor the other, depending upon the direction. of the current in the coils8 The lever 3 is provided with a contact arm 8 which when the leverrotates makes contact with stationary contacts ii or 8 to therebyenergize one or the other of the reversing windings of the I motor l andcause the latter to rotate in a corresponding direction.

The circuit arrangement for the lamps 2 and any oth r additional likecircuits is the same as that thus far described for the lamps I.

The system illustrated further includes a fader control potentiometer Hwhich may be of the resistance or the auto-transformer type, the lattertype being illustrated. The potentiometer II is connected with its endterminals across the lines U, L and is provided with a sliding contactii= by means of which the value of the derived voltage may be varied. Amaster potentiometer- !2 comprising two like sections i2 and [2 whichsections are connected between the contact 1 i on one hand and the linesL and L respectively,

includes similar transformers I 4 and IS, the secondary windings N and[5, respectively, of which are connected in series with each otherbetween the brush l2 and the coils I, a circuit being completed over acontact bar I6, to the adjustable brush ll, of a variable rheostat Hwhich is connected across the lines L L. The brush 11' is insulatedlyconnected to the brush 4 to move therewith, so that the potential of thebrush ll with respect to the lines L. and I is a function of the voltageimpressed upon the lamps I. The primary winding ll of transformer I 4 isconnected between the brush I l and the adjustable contact I3 of thelower half I3 of potentiometer [3, while the primary winding [5 oftransformer I5 is connected between the adjustable contact ll and theadjustable contact 13 of the upper half of said potentiometer.

The system is shown in the drawing in a transition from one scene setupto another. It may be assumed for purposes of description that the brushH was previously at the bus bar L and that it is now being moved towardthe bus bar L The voltages impressed upon the scene masterpotentiometers l2 and l2 are at all times equal to the voltages of therespective sections H and ll said voltages, as aforeindicated, varyingfrom maximum to minimum, according to the position of brush Il.Furthermore, at any moment the output voltages of the sections I2 andH." are a fraction of the aforementioned input voltages dependent uponthe setting of the brushes l2 and I2. These output voltages areimpressedupon the potentiometer sections I3 and l3 whose modified output voltagesare in turn impressed upon the primary windings I l and I5 oftransformers l4 and I5, respectively. Thus when the brush H is at thebus bar L the value of the voltage impressed upon the transformer I4 iszero, while the value of the voltage adapted to be impressed upon thetransformer I 5 is a maximum (namely, the voltage acrossL L whose valueis modified by the setting of the contacts 12 and 13 which thus controlthe brilliancy of the lamps I. That is to say, a voltage is induced inthe secondary winding l5 of transformer I5 which causes a flow ofcurrent through the coils 8 to operate motor 1 in the proper directionuntil the voltage between brush li and line L equals in polarity andmagnitude the induced secondary voltage, at which point the motor 1stops and the lamps operate at the desired intensity. The aforedescribedarrangement or circuit connection of secondary windings N and I 5 issuch that the voltages induced therein when the contact H is manintermediate position are opposed to each other, thus providing adiiferential voltage value. Moreover, the relative values of the opposedvoltages last mentioned will be additionally dependent upon therespective positions of contacts 12 and I3 and contacts l2 and [3 If itshould be desired to change the illumination intensity of a single groupof lamps it is only necessary to change the adjustment of the brush l3or l3 associated with the respective group of lamps, whereas theillumination intensities of all of the groups of lamps may be modifiedjointly and proportionally by adjustment of the brush 12 or 12,depending upon the extreme position or polarity of the contact Il.

If it is desired to preset for a third or other succeeding scene whilecontact H is at the bus bar L it is only necessary to adjust thecontacts 12 and I3 to the desired value, and when it is desired tochange to the new set-up, contact H is moved from L to I. with theresult that the intensities of all lamp groups are changed from therespective previous values to the new values gradually andproportionally relatively to each other. In any intermediate position ofthe contact H the effect 01 the adjustments of the scene masters andgroup scene potentiometers will be proportional to the settings of thevarious adjustable contacts as will be obvious.

When the desired values 0'! the respective lamp circuit voltages havebeen attained for a given scene no current flows in the circuits of therelay coils I associated with the respective lamp circuits between theseveral receiving and sending stations and the various control circuitswhich provided the particular intensities might; therefore be opened ifdesired.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A control system comprising, a circuit to be controlled, means for.presetting a plurality of operating values for an electrical conditionor said circuit, comprising, a pair of fixed ratio transformers havingprimary and secondary windings, said secondary windings being connectedin series relation to each other and having output voltages opposed toeach other, an individual voltage regulator for each of said primarywindings, affording a variable ratio between its input voltage and itsoutput voltage, the input circuits of said voltage regulators beingconnecting in series acros a voltage source and a potentiometer havingan adjustable contact for varying the potential thereof relative to thepotential of its end terminals and connected to the common point of saidindividual voltage regulators, whereby the voltage of one of said latterregulators is increased and the voltage of the other is simultaneouslydecreased.

2. An illumination contro1 system comprising u a circuit to becontrolled, means for presetting a plurality of operating values for anelectrical condition of said circuit, comprising, a pair of voltageregulators, means individual to each of said regulators for varying theoutput voltage thereof and impressing it upon said circuit, a secondpair of voltage regulators, one for each of said first pair of voltageregulators and also ailording a. variable ratio of their input andoutput voltages and adapted to cooperate with the respective voltageregulator of the first pair to impress their respective output voltagesthereon, and means to increase the input voltage of one and tosimultaneously decrease the input voltage of the other of said secondpair of voltage regulators.

3. A control system comprising, a circuit to be controlled, means forpresetting a plurality of operating values for an electrical conditionof said circuit, comprising, a pair of transformers having primary andsecondary windings, said secondary .windings being connected in seriesrelation to each other and having output voltages opposed to each other,a voltage regulator for each of said primary windings affording avariable ratio between its input voltage and its output voltage, andadapted to impress the latter upon the respective primary winding, andmeans for increasing the input voltage of one and si multaneouslydecreasing the input voltage of the other or said voltage regulators.

4. A control system comprising a circuit to be controlled, means forpresetting a plurality 01 operating values for an electrical conditionof said circuit, comprising, a pair of transformers having primary andsecondary windings, said secondary windings being connected in seriesrelation to each other and having output voltages opposed to each other,a potentiometer for each of said primary windings, means to vary theoutput voltage of each of said potentiometers and to impress it upon therespective primary winding, and means for increasing the input voltageof one and simultaneously decreasing the input voltage of the other ofsaid potentiometers.

5. 'A control system comprising a circuit to be controlled, means forpresetting a plurality 01' operating values for an electrical conditionof said circuit, comprising, a pair oi. transformers having primary andsecondary windings, said secondary windings being connected in seriesrelation to each other and having output voltages opposed to each other,a potentiometer for each of said primary windings affording a variableratio of its input voltage'and its output voltage and impressing it uponthe responsive primary winding, .a second pair of variablepotentiometers, one for each of said first pair of potentiometers, eachof said second pair of potentiometers being adapted to impress itsoutput voltage upon its respectively associated potentiometer of saidfirst pair, and means for increasing the input voltage of at least oneof the respectively associated potentiometers of said first and secondpairs and simultaneously decreasing the input voltage of at least one ofthe other respectively associated potentiometers of said first andsecond pairs.

6. A control system comprising a circuit to be controlled, means forpresetting a plurality of operating values for an electrical conditionof said circuit, comprising, a pair of transformers having primary andsecondary windings, said secondary windings being connected in seriesrelation to each other and having output voltages opposed to each other,a potentiometer for each or said primary windings afiording a variableratio of its inputvoltage and its output voltage and impressing it uponthe respective primary winding, a second pair of variablepotentiometers, one for each or said first pair of potentiometers, eachof said second pair of potentiometers being adapted to impress itsoutput voltage upon its respectively associated potentiometer of saidfirst pair and means for increasing the input voltage of one ofsaidsecond pair of potentiometers and simultaneously decreasing the inputvoltage of the other of said second pair of potentiometers.

JOSEPH J. ROSECKY.

CERTIFICATE GF- CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,252,077. February 18, 191 1.

JOSEPH J. ROSECKY.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5,first column, line jl, claim 5, for the word "responsive" read-respeot1ve-=-; and that the said Letters Patent shouldbe read with thiscorrection therein that the same may conform to the record of the casein the Patent Office;

signed end sealed this 22nd day of April, A. D. 19m.

Henry Van Arsdale,

( Acting Commissionerof Patents.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Pateht No. 5,252,077. February 1 19m.

JOSEPH J. ROSECKY.

It is hereby certified. that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5,first column, line 51; claim 5, for the word "responsive" read"respective- 3 and that the said. Letters Patent should be read withthis correction there-- in that the same may contain 0 the record of thecase in the Patent Office; S1gned end. sealed this 22nd da of April, A.1). 191m.

Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Acting commissionerwof Patents-

